Rebound
by tmntfan4eva
Summary: Love is messy. Unrequited. Desperate. When the two emotions meet, the consequences could be more than any of their relationships can withstand. (features multiple Marco ships)


**Couple-wise this involves just about every combination of the characters tagged but this site is dumb and only lets me do one couple for each character as far as I can tell.**

 **This is my first try at writing any of these characters, so don't be too hard on me. I really wanted to do a series of escalating moments like this and since I can't draw, I wrote it. Thus no scene is super long, but they are all very much linked. I hope you enjoy!**

"I'm baaaaaack!" Star calls out to anyone who might be listening, Marco in particular. She prances across the room and towards the stairs.

Marco pops into view at the top of the stairs. "Hey, Star. You look happy." He smiles as he makes his way down. "So how was it? Was it as miserable as you said it would be? Or did you," he gasps and lays his hands over his mouth for dramatic effect, "have fun?"

Star swats at him, smiling despite herself.

Marco laughs. "Honestly though, I don't know how you could _not_ like that stuff. I mean…pretty dresses, free food, dancing, and-"

"Dancing!" Star's eyes light up and she grabs Marco's wrist. "Marco! Marco!" She jumps up and down. "Tom and I – we got back together."

Marco's face goes blank. "What?"

Star releases him and waves her hand about as she says, "Yeah, we had to dance cause royalty stuff and it was actually nice. Soooo much better than that Blood Moon Ball thing. So we decided we'd try again."

"Oh. Really?" Marco's brow creases as he contemplates her.

Star frowns. "What's wrong?" A mischievous glint shines in her eye. "You jealous?" She nudges him.

"No." Marco rubs the back of his neck. "It's just that, it's sudden. I mean, not for him, the guy's totally in love you." He half laughs. "But for you…you hated the guy just hours ago."

Star shrugs. "Love's a crazy thing." She skips past him and up the stairs, her eyes lingering on him as long as she can manage before she goes around the corner.

Marco watches her go, thinking hard on her words, and as she disappears his frown lifts and he too shrugs. "I guess so."

 **…**

Marco steps through the portal and into Tom's bedroom.

"What's up, dude?" Tom smiles and looks to Marco with his third eye while keeping his others firmly planted on the video game in front of him. His fingers tap away as he completes combo after combo.

"That ball landed on our usual game day, so I figured I'd come today instead."

"Yeah, sure, just gimme a second." His tongue sticks out in his concentration as he mashes out another combo. Another. Another. "Yes!" He throws his hands in the air. "In your face!"

Marco snickers. "You get way to into these games." He strides over.

" _No,_ you don't get into them enough." Tom snaps his fingers and another chair appears besides him. "That's why I always beat you." He smirks.

"No, you win because you _cheat_." Marco plops down next to him.

"Rude." Tom swishes his hand and floats the second controller into Marco's hands. "It's not my fault my games are made for demons."

Marco rolls his eyes but smiles anyway. "Just hit start."

They play through at least ten rounds before Marco stops counting and loses himself in the fighting. After that he isn't sure just how long they go back and forth, all he knows is he wins a grand total of one time. One. Well, it's a record he supposes. Although he has a sneaking suspicion Tom let him win so he'd keep playing.

Tom grins. "Ready to give up yet?"

"You realize that for most people beating them into the ground usually ends with them not wanting to play with you ever again, right?" Marco raises a brow.

Tom chuckles. "Yeah, well you aren't like most people, now are you?" His smile falters as a thought crashes into his brain. "I mean, most people wouldn't have even forgiven me in the first place." He drops his eyes to the floor.

Marco's brows knit together and his eyes shine with sadness. Lingering on bad thoughts is never good, particularly not for Tom, so he doesn't try and cheer him up, instead he switches tracks entirely. "So," he stretches out the word, "you and Star, huh?" He tilts his head.

Tom pauses for a long moment, still caught somewhere in the moments before, and then his face lights up like a firework. "She told you?" He half laughs. "Honestly, I almost thought she was making fun of me at first." He rubs the back of his neck. "I mean, before that dance I was pretty sure she hated me. But…that dance…" He smiles fondly. "It was just like before." His heart beats a little faster.

"I'm glad you're happy." Marco smiles.

"You say that like you're not." Tom shoots him a dubious look. "What? You jealous?" His cautiousness shifts to humor and he grins.

"Oh my God." Marco throws his hands in the air. "If one more person says I'm jealous I swear to Mewni. I am _not_ jealous." He scowls.

"Chill, dude." Tom laughs. "I'm just kidding."

"I just think it's sudden. Just like you said. And I don't want things to blow up, you know?" He shrugs.

"It's okay. I'll be okay." Tom's eyes muddy despite his words. "Even if we don't last. I'll be happy I got even this much time."

Marco nods and smiles despite the feeling stirring deep within him.

"Still, don't be so negative. That's my thing." Tom nudges Marco. "It doesn't suit you."

Marco chuckles and his smile turns genuine. "Just like winning doesn't suit me apparently."

"Now you're getting it." Tom bobs his head. "Another round?"

"Another round!"

 **…**

"Double date! Double date!" Star bounces in place, her dress rising and falling with her. This time it is blazing red, a single simple color that makes her pop amongst the furniture around the house.

Marco walks down the stairs and falters as he sees her in her fancy dress and with her hair held back in a barrette. "Oh, um, you're going like that?"

Star's eyes flit to her dress and back to him. She puffs out her lip. "What's wrong with my dress?"

Marco shakes his head. "Nothing. Just…was I supposed to dress up?" He gives a nervous smile and tugs at his hoodie. "I thought this was gonna be more…chill," he stretches the word out and slides his hands in a smooth line.

"Dresses can be chill." Star waves her wand and a splash of pictures appear on her dress – bunny, dog, and cat faces, rainbows, clouds, and a heart right on her chest. "See? Chill," she mimics his tone and movement.

Marco shifts from one foot to the other. "Well, I guess-"

"Good. Let's go!" She snatches him by the wrist and races out the door. They run all the way to the restaurant where they find Jackie waiting.

"Oooh, nice dress." Jackie smiles at Star. "Next time I'll wear mine and we can match, yeah?" Jackie tilts her head.

Star beams. "Yeah."

Marco eyes Star's hand still curled around his wrist and he frowns. There's no way she doesn't realize it. Still, no need to fuss. He simply tugs his hand out of hers and brushes it off.

A trace of a scowl lights Star's face as she notices Marco brush his wrist off.

Marco looks to Jackie, a renewed smile on his lips. "You, um, you look pretty. Even without a dress." He smiles bashfully.

Jackie giggles. "You're as sweet as ever." She steps forward and kisses him on the cheek.

Star looks pointedly away and grumbles beneath her. No, it's cool. Tom will be here any second now. He'll-

A burst of flames appear and when it subsides Tom stands before them. "Hey." He gives a slight wave.

"Tom!" Star leaps at him and throws her arms around his neck.

Tom catches her around the waist and draws her close. "Missed you too, Starship." He leans his head down toward her.

Star stretches up and brushes her nose against his in an eskimo kiss.

Tom lowers her so her feet touch the ground. "Beautiful as always." His smile is tender.

Star giggles, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "You're looking pretty spiffy there too." She smiles coyly. He is wearing the same suit as the night of the Blood Moon Ball.

Jackie looks Tom over. "So, you're the demon dude, right?"

Tom eyes her with uncertainty. "Uh, yeah. That's me. And you are…?"

"Jackie." She wraps her arm around Marco's shoulder. "Marco's girlfriend."

Marco smiles sheepishly. He still isn't quite used to her calling them boyfriend and girlfriend. It's nice, definitely, but it never fails to knock him off kilter.

Star's eyes snap open and her face lights up. "Hey! Marco!" She nabs her phone from her pocket and tosses it at him.

Marco yelps and scrambles to catch it, fumbling with it before finally clamping his hands around the device. He makes a face at her.

Star laughs and grins from ear to ear. "Take a pic of us, okay?" She leans her head against Tom and nuzzles into the crook of his neck.

Marco frowns, but he does as she says. He lifts the phone and snaps a shot, capturing their moment of sentiment.

Jackie peeks over his shoulder. "You two are super cute." She nods to them. "You match and everything. Same as me and Marco. We're like the perfect couples."

" _Power_ couples." Star pipes, waving her wand. "We've got the powers."

"And we've got the couples?" Jackie laughs.

Star laughs with her.

Marco opens his mouth to speak and reaches out to offer Star her phone back, but he doesn't get a chance to accomplish either.

Star loops his arm through Tom's and tugs him forward. "Alright, alright, enough of this. Let's go eat. I hunger!" She throws a hand in the air.

"Yeah, come on Marco." Jackie slips her hand into his and draws him along.

Marco tries to fidget with his fingers and is made all the more aware of the phone still in his grasp. He tilts the device and glances down at the image. It stares right back. What was the point of taking this if she wasn't even going to look at it? Maybe the excitement of it all has affected her focus, causing her mind to flit from one thing to the next even quicker than usual. He'd like to think that. But it isn't just that. She was unusually affectionate just now. He has never seen her dating someone, sure, but something about it just didn't feel _right._ It didn't feel like Star.

"Marco?" Jackie's voice breaches his thoughts.

Marco blinks and shakes away his daze. He looks up to meet Jackie's eyes. "Sorry, what?"

"Time for your order, dude."

"O-Oh, right, yeah, for sure." He shoves the phone in his pocket, shoves it out of his mind. He won't let his weird insecurities mess this night up. So what if she forgot the phone! So what if she is being extra love! Love does crazy things. He has to believe those words.

 **…**

Marco hops from his bed to go grab something to eat. Probably nachos so he can continue to play his video game. Plus it isn't quite time for lunch. As he makes his way to the stairs he pauses halfway through passing Star's room and peers in.

Star sits crisscross on her bed and right beside her is Tom. She has her hand held out to him as she stays more still than Marco has ever seen her.

Tom is intent, his gaze set on her fingernails as he works.

Oh. Fingernail painting. Marco smiles. Cute. He moves to keep going, but the slight movement is all it takes.

Star gasps and pops her head up. "Oh, Marco. Marco, look!" She jerks her hand away from Tom and tilts it forward so Marco can get a better look. "Tom's doing my nails. Isn't he the sweetest?" Her eyes shine.

Marco goes to answer immediately. Yeah, of course it's sweet. Because of course it is. Only…those eyes. They stop him. There's a hint of something there, and it isn't happiness. Hope, maybe? A hope directed at him. Does she want his approval? It's never seemed to matter one way or the other before…before…her crush. He stifles a grimace. No, stop it. He needs to stop thinking like this.

"Helloooo. Earth to Marco." Star laughs.

Marco blinks and his creased expression smoothes out. He even smiles. "Yeah, it's super sweet."

Star giggles. "Right?" She lays a peck on Tom's cheek.

Marco nods and with that continues past her room. While he is proud of how sincere he sounded, he can't ignore the truth. That feeling has returned – full force. It gnaws at him and eats away at any joy he might have derived from Star and Tom being so happy. Why? Why won't it go away? He groans and throws his head into his hands.

Maybe he is jealous. Just like they said from the start. But…is that right? He doesn't think so. He loves Jackie, really and truly. And that feeling is just as powerful as the deep seeded wrongness lying within Star's eyes and actions. Then what…? He can only pray he doesn't find the answer, that this fragile piece of happiness everyone has right now doesn't shatter.

 **…**

"Ok." Marco stands before their team. "It looks like we're gonna have to split up for this mission guys."

"Oh, Tom! Tom!" Star zips over to Tom's side and seizes his arm. "I called him." She rests her head on his arm and grins up at him.

Ponyhead shoots her a look. "Girl, this is like the millionth time. You don't have to call it anymore."

Kelly places her hands on her hips. "Seriously."

"Pssh." Star releases Tom long enough to wave a hand dismissively. "You never know guys. Janna likes to steal him sometimes. Right, Marco?" She leans into Tom more as she looks to Marco.

"Eh." Janna shrugs. "I'm over it." She has stolen enough of his books so she doesn't have to ask him about any of his supernatural junk.

Marco narrows his eyes at Star and makes a sound beneath his breath. They're right. She jumps on Tom at every possible moment. Not to mention it is becoming more and more over the top. What started as innocent pictures to remember a double date has escalated to something Marco finds increasingly hard to ignore.

"Marcoooo?" Star calls to him

Marco nods. "Yeah, right," he realizes his voice is a bit tight, but there is nothing he can do about it. Nothing he _wants_ to do about it. His suspicions have turned to ever rising agitation and he really just needs her to tone it down. Otherwise…he has a bad feeling. About her, Tom, and perhaps most of all himself.

 **…**

It is late at night and Marco knows better than to venture out of his room, but he does it anyway. He does it knowing what will happen, maybe he even does it _because_ of what will happen. He can't be sure anymore. Either way he ends up walking to the kitchen, hungry for nachos, and on the way he must pass through the living room.

He steps carefully along the floor, tries his best to avoid all the boards that creak, but to no avail. He hits a particularly loud spot and goes stiff.

Star shoves herself up from her spot laying against Tom's chest. "Marco?" She grins as her head appears over the top of the couch.

Marco breathes deeply out. He turns to her. "Yes?" He puts on a smile.

"Why don't you join us?" She nods over and over, as if trying to silently prompt him to agree. "We're watching a Love Sentence movie. Your favorite."

Marco grinds his teeth. Yeah. His favorite. And one of her least favorites. She may be into Love Sentence, but when they watched the movie she complained about it for weeks. There is no reason for her to pick that besides to try and lure him near. He could choose to believe she did it for Tom, but he is done convincing himself of the pureness in her motives. It isn't for Tom. It never has been. And he's done with it. "Nah, I think I'm good. Kinda tired." He shrugs.

Tom sits up and comes into view a moment later. "You sure dude? It would be really fun to see it with you again." He smiles.

Marco stares longingly. Truth be told he would love to watch it with Tom – a true fan. It was _their_ thing first. Not to mention he just misses doing things with Tom period. Ever since he and Star started dating again they haven't been able to meet up and play games or do…anything. But he refuses to play into Star's whims like some kind of puppet, no matter how much he'd love to chill with Tom. "I really am tired," Marco says weakly. Her expression sags, worn and helpless.

Tom's brow creases and his smile falls. "Yeah, that's cool." He drops his eyes.

"Your loss!" Star pipes before diving at Tom and taking him down on the couch. She presses her lips to his, a strong deep kiss.

Marco clenches his fists and gnashes his teeth. But he says nothing. He turns hard on his heel and marches up the stairs, his hunger replaced with a roiling fire. That's it. No more. He saw her eyes flicker to him as she kissed Tom and he. Has. Had. _Enough_. He refuses to let this drag on any longer. It may ruin what little he has left in his relationship to Star, but he barely cares anymore. What she is doing is wrong. _She_ is wrong – the wrongness he has felt from the very beginning. And now he's going to end it.

 **…**

It's harder than Marco thought it would be, but eventually he catches Star in a moment where she isn't with Tom and they aren't on a mission. He finds her in her room and he doesn't give a courtesy knock or even pause so that she sees him, he just walks right in.

Star lays stretched out on her bed with her head in her hands. At the sound of the floor creaking she pops her head up to see who it is. "Oh! Marco." She swings her legs around and bounces into a sitting position. "What's up? Wanna hang?" She laughs.

"Star. You need to stop." He crosses his arms. "Now."

Star blinks up at him. "Stop what?" She frowns. "Trying to hang out with you?"

"Oh, stop it." Marco stares stone cold at her. "You may be naïve, but you're not stupid. And I'm not stupid either. I can see what you are doing with Tom."

"Um, dating?" her tone is flat as she raises a brow and looks at him as if he is in fact stupid.

" _Using_ him," Marco snaps.

Star's mouth gapes. "I'm sorry, what?" She half laughs, an edge curling around the sound.

"You heard me. I just can't believe it took me this long to figure it out." He sneers at himself. "I _knew_ , I knew from the start that it all happened way too suddenly. There was no way you could have fallen for him all over again in the span of a night." He starts to pace in a short line and throws his hands in the air. "But no, I couldn't stick to my guns. I had to let your cliché 'love does crazy things' get to me. And every time after that – the picture, the clinging, the… _everything_. I let myself believe in your goodness, no, _forced_ myself to." He stops hard in front of her. "I wanted to believe the Star I knew wouldn't do this. So I made it so. And that makes me just as wrong as you." He shakes his head. "But don't think it absolves you."

Star's eyes catch fire. "Ex-cuse you." She shoves herself to her feet. "I'm sorry if hugging, kissing, and wanting to be around someone all the time offends you somehow, but that's what dating is Marco. It's exactly like you and Jackie." She smirks.

Marco's lips curl in disgust. "Jackie and I are _nothing_ like you and Tom. I don't parade her around like some prize and shove her down your throat to try and make you jealous. I treat her like a person – a person I genuinely care for. You…" He sneers. "You don't even treat Tom like a human being. All he is to you is an object – a convenient tool to try and get my eyes on you. You kiss and cling and wave every little thing you two do around in my face, hoping that I'll bite and suddenly want you as badly as you want me."

"What's the matter, Marco?" She leans forward, her eyes glinting with something between mischief and malice. " _Jealous?_ "

Marco scoffs and takes a step back. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He levels her with an intense look. "But I'm gonna tell you what I told Tom before – you can't make someone love you. They have to want to."

Star makes a soft sound of acknowledgement.

"So stop it. Stop using him. Stop toying with his emotions. And stop chasing me. Because you're not making me jealous."

"I can't stop something I'm not doing."

Marco shakes his head. "Keep telling yourself that. It won't make it any more true."

Star scoffs. "Same to you. Because just like you've seen me, I've seen you over these past months. There's something rising within you. It started out as a simmer, but now it's finally boiling over." She crosses her arms and watches him with self-satisfaction. "You're jealous." She turns and walks toward the exit, pausing to shoot him a look over her shoulder and say, "I see it in your eyes." With that she leaves the room.

Marco stands there for a long time. He doesn't move and honestly he isn't sure he even breathes. Thoughts fly through his head at a million miles an hour, tumbling over and crashing into each other in the frenzy. Him…jealous? No way. He has felt nothing but contempt toward Star over her actions and even in the beginning while he was giving her the benefit of the doubt he wasn't jealous that Tom was the recipient of her affections. That wasn't why the situation felt wrong. And he certainly knows his own feelings, and _far_ better than _her._ Still…her words eat away at him, replacing the burden of the wrongness with something much more frightening. Jealousy...there's just no way. He shakes his head and promptly leaves the room. Too bad those feelings can't be abandoned just as easily.

 **…**

Nothing changes. Because of course it doesn't. Star is dead set on her objective, no matter how futile. Marco draws in a deep breath. Which means he'll have to talk to Tom about it. It's not that he is afraid of Tom or what he might do – he has gotten so much better about his emotions triggering his powers and they are too close for Tom to ever want to do him harm – it's more about what this will do to their friendship. One wrong word is all it will take to set Tom on the defensive and cause their well-built foundation to crumble.

He tightens his hold on the dimensional scissors. He'll just have to be extra careful. He opens a portal and steps through into Tom's bedroom.

Tom starts and blinks up at him from where he lays on his bed. "Oh. Marco. What are you doing here?" They didn't have any plans, did they?

Marco frowns and his eyes dim. It hurts to see Tom so surprised by his appearance. Used to he was over so frequently Tom wouldn't even bat an eye when a portal popped up and he stepped out. How could it really come to this? Star or not, Marco should never have let it reach this point. "I…I need to talk to you." He moves his foot in small circles.

Tom frowns. "Okay…"

"It's about Star." Marco looks anywhere but at Tom.

Tom stiffens and his grip on his controller tightens. "What about Star?"

Marco makes his way over to Tom's bed and sits at the edge. He wants to find comfort in this familiar position, but what he gets is the exact opposite. He feels so much like Star. She sat just like this when he faced her. He sorely hopes this doesn't turn out like that. "I don't know if, I mean…I've been getting this feeling of-" He sighs. "Are you happy?" He can't believe himself as he falls back on that question.

Tom sets the controller down and stands, walking toward Marco.

Marco swallows hard and ducks his head. Please don't stop in front of him. Please don't stop in front of him. _Please._

Tom doesn't hesitate, he takes a seat by Marco's side. For some reason his friend is already squirming and he knows that feeling all too well. Facing him will only make him more nervous.

Marco lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"What's wrong with you, dude?" Tom raises a brow as he watches Marco's profile.

Marco blinks twice. "H-Hey! I asked a question first." He tries to puff himself up to look indignant, but he knows by Tom's expression that he fails miserably.

"You look like you'll freak out if I so much as touch you." Tom pokes Marco's arm.

Marco smacks at Tom's finger. "Stop it," he fusses. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, ok." Tom shakes his head. "And yeah, I'm happy with Star. Just like I said the last time. Why?" His brows knit together and he studies Marco intently.

"Sorry, but I…I don't think she really loves you."

Tom's face goes blank. "What?"

Marco tugs at the sleeve of his hoodie. "I don't mean to hurt you, really, but Star just has not been acting right from the very beginning. You have to have seen it too – how she flaunts you in front of me."

Tom's face loses all its creases and he clenches his fists. "Seriously?" he says flatly. There is no warmth in his eyes.

Marco straightens and looks dead into Tom's eyes. "Tom, come on, don't take it like that. I'm saying this because I care. I don't want to see you get hurt because of how selfish she is being."

"Selfish? Her?" He grinds his teeth.

Marco watches him carefully.

"You told me months ago that you weren't jealous. And I believed you. But you…" He shakes his head. "You have the nerve to call _her_ selfish?"

Marco gapes. " _What?_ " His eyes bulge. "Are you _kidding_ me? I told you. I. Am. Not. Jealous!" he all but shrieks it. His chest heaves. "I…I just want you to be with someone who really cares about you," his voice gradually softens, "and I know it hurts, but she…doesn't."

Tom scoffs. "You don't know anything about us."

Marco makes a face. "I know _everything._ She _lives_ with me for crying out loud – has lived with me for nearly a year. The same goes for you too. You're one of my closest friends." He lays a hand on his chest. "Please, don't do this to yourself."

Tom pins him beneath his blazing gaze. "I guess we're not as close as you thought."

Marco starts and his expression wilts, the words cutting so deep it's almost physical.

Tom doesn't react to Marco's shift. "You had your chance." He stands. "You can't change your mind just because she wants me now. That's not how it works."

Marco swallows hard and musters up his sternest look as he stands to match Tom. "I don't love Star," he barely keeps his voice from wavering. "And you shouldn't either."

Tom gapes for a split second before his lips curl into a snarl. "A real friend would never say that to me." Tom's eyes flicker red.

Marco is crushed as Tom rubs salt in the wound. He takes a step back, slowly drawing the scissors from his pocket. "Tom…" He wants to say something – something that will take this disaster and turn it to his advantage or even just something to salvage what remains of their friendship. But he finds nothing. And he knows when Tom has reached his limit. He cuts a rift next to him, his eyes never leaving Tom. Only as he steps through and Tom disappears from his view does he let his gaze fall. Even then the image of Tom's expression still burns into his brain. He sighs and hangs his head. Things will definitely change now, but not for the better. Now he's lost both Star and Tom.

 **…**

"I…messed up," Marco lets his face fall into his hands. He hides his shame from the world and Jackie in particular as they sit on a bench in the park.

"You mean with Star?" Jackie tilts her head.

Marco mumbles into his hands, "Uh-huh." Really that isn't even the half of it though. He messed up with everyone involved. Well, at least he has Jackie.

"Wanna talk about it?" Jackie lays a hand on Marco's shoulder.

Marco is quiet for a long moment, probably too long, but she doesn't urge him on and eventually he sighs. He raises his head from his hands and looks to her. "Well-no, first…can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Jackie smiles.

"Do you think Star has been acting, I don't know, weird? Like…more weird than normal?"

Jackie taps a finger against her chin and lifts her gaze to the sky. She hums as she contemplates. "Maybe. I mean, she's always kind of weird." She half laughs, but when she drops her gaze to meet Marco's she becomes completely serious. "But I guess you mean with Tom. So, yeah, she has been a bit…much?" She shrugs. "I don't know what to call it."

"Really?" Marco holds his breath and brightens ever so slightly. "Or…are you just saying that to make me feel better about the mess I made?" She is really sweet so she would do that for him, wanting nothing more than for him to feel better. Still, he wants the truth.

Jackie frowns and shakes her head. "Nah, dude. I mean it. I've felt weird about it for a while whenever we do the whole double date stuff, but it didn't seem important enough to say anything. Everyone looked happy, so…" She shrugs. "Eh. You know?"

Marco ekes out a laugh. "Yeah…eh."

"So," she stretches out the word, "I guess you did say something then, huh?" She smiles knowingly.

Marco deflates. "Yeah…"

"So what happened?"

"Well…" Marco rubs the back of his neck and averts his eyes. "I thought I knew what it was, that weird feeling, and I thought it was that Star was trying to make me jealous by pushing her relationship with Tom." He grimaces. "But…they both called me jealous. So…"

Jackie blinks. "Both?"

"Oh. Right. Um, after talking to Star I tried talking to Tom too." He sighs. "Even dumber. I…I don't even know if we're friends anymore." The light is extinguished from his eyes.

Jackie frowns as she contemplates him. "Marco, you and Tom are friends, pretty close by the way you talk about him all the time."

Marco's cheeks color. "I-I do not talk about him all the time!"

Jackie snickers. "Yeah, ok." She quiets her expression. "But good friends don't just stop being friends, not over something like this. He just needs time to think." She shrugs. "Same as me after Star said she had a crush on you."

"Oh…" Marco says softly. So that's what she was doing while he was on Mewni.

Jackie chuckles and tucks her hair behind an ear. "Yep, I did that. But seriously, don't get so down." She gives him a peck on the cheek and smiles. "He'll come around. Trust me."

Marco smiles back. "I trust you."

 **…**

Marco isn't sure how much time passes. He stops counting the days after a while. All he knows is that Tom and Star still haven't talked to him since he confronted them. And with each and every day that passes the weight he feels increases. _You sure Starred this whole thing up._ Star's words play in his head. Wow. That was so long ago. She didn't have feelings for him, he wasn't with Jackie, and he…hadn't even met Tom. How is it that it came to this from such an innocent place?

Marco doesn't notice the presence, not until a board squeaks from across the room. He snaps to attention and jerks his hands into a defensive pose, eyes wild and heart racing. He doesn't know what he expects, but when he focuses he is stunned to see Tom standing before him. He stares blankly.

Tom doesn't even flinch. He simply stands there and stares right back at Marco, the only difference is in his eyes there is a deep sadness. It's etched in every crease on his face.

Marco grapples for the words to say. _This is it_. This is the moment he has been waiting for all this time. There is so much he could say, he just needs the right words. What comes out is, "You…did you…walk in?" He mentally face palms.

Tom blinks. "Oh, um, yeah…" He rubs the back of his neck. "I guess I did."

Marco chews on the inside of his cheek. He fidgets in the silence as it wraps itself around them in a death grip. It becomes so unbearable he can feel his skin crawling. He has to break it. He opens his mouth, "I-"

"I'm sorry," Tom blurts out.

Marco comes to attention. "Huh?"

"I'm sorry. You know…for what I said. That you weren't a real friend." He drops his gaze to the floor. "It was cruel." He chuckles, but it is a bitter sound. "I should know that more than anyone. But I did it anyway."

Marco swallows. "It's alright." He stands and walks closer. "I'm sorry too. And maybe…" He shrugs. "Maybe I was a little jealous. I mean, I wasn't getting to spend much time with either of you anymore."

"No, you were right." He sighs. "I felt it too. The same as you said. I just," he clenches his fists. "I didn't want to believe it." He shakes his head. "I wanted it so badly. Wanted to be happy, and with her. For as long as possible. I willed myself not to see the lies."

Marco frowns. "You can still be happy. You don't need her for that." He looks hard at Tom. "You know that, right?"

Tom nods stiffly. "Yeah…but that doesn't make it hurt any less. Not right now." He bites his lip.

"It'll get better." He lays a hand on Tom's shoulder. "It just takes time." Like everything else. "Oh!" Marco glimpses his game console from the corner of his eyes. "So hey, how bout we play a round?" He motions toward the system. "Huh? Maybe I'll win for real this time." He grins.

Tom is thrown by Marco's sudden shift, but most of all by how genuine his smile is and how bright his eyes are as they focus on him. "Marco?"

"Hm?" He dials back his excitement, but he keeps a smile on his face.

"You…" He tugs at his sleeve. "You really forgive me? That easily?" He knows Marco isn't one to hold grudges. He's seen it time and time again. Still, something of this magnitude, he can't quite believe it.

Marco frowns. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"But…aren't you angry? I…I was so…" His face creases and his lips curl in disgust as he stares down at his own hands.

Marco smiles tenderly. "Tom." He steps forward and engulfs Tom in a hug. "I was never mad at you, just hurt. Hurt and afraid you'd never talk to me again."

Tom's eyes widen and he stiffens. For a moment he swears he stops breathing and that maybe even time itself stops.

"Even if I was mad…you're my friend. I care about you. So as long as you mean it, I'll always forgive you."

Emotion wells up in Tom and tears roll down his cheeks. He buries his face in Marco's shoulder and wraps his arms around him, digging his fingers into the space between Marco's shoulder blades as he holds on tight. "Everyone else would leave me," he whispers.

"Haven't you heard? I'm not like most people." He pulls away and smirks. "At least that's what someone told me."

Tom puffs out a laugh and a smile lights his face. "Yeah, you're not." He wipes away the tears. "Which means I don't have to feel sorry when I win a hundred times." He runs past Marco and to the game.

Marco shakes his head and rolls his eyes, but the smile doesn't fade. "I'll win! You'll see." And as he sits next to Tom, for the first time in months there is no terrible feeling deep within him. There is only happiness.

 **No, a million times no I do not want this to actually happen in the show because if** **Star used Tom like this and was _that_ jealous I would genuinely hate her character. ****I just really wanted to play with the idea and so I did.** **Also I already know that the dance won't play out like this in canon, it just served as a good jumping off point and I seized the opportunity.**

 **I may or may not continue this, not sure. So even though I'm listing it as complete you can keep an eye on it if you want. I hope it still stands as a good complete piece even without another part and that you loved it as much as I loved writing it. Please review!**


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